Are hypoallergenic cosmetics really allergen free? episode 230

Valerie George (0:00)

Hi, I'm Valerie, and you're listening to The Beauty Brains.

Thank Welcome to The Beauty Brains, a show where real cosmetic chemists answer your beauty product questions and give you an insider's look at the cosmetics industry. This is episode 230 I'm your host, Valerie George, and with me today is my marvelous co-host, Perry Romanowski. Hi, Perry.

Perry Romanowski (0:28)

Hey, Valerie, so good to have you back.

Valerie George (0:31)

I am glad to be back. Today, we're gonna cover a lot of questions on the show about, is it okay to make your own cosmetics if you get ingredients from a legitimate source? Do hydrolyzed proteins really do anything?

When should I apply my Azelaic Acid product, and what is the proper pH of hair care products? And of course, we'll have our chit chat. We'll talk about beauty science news all before we get into the questions.

Perry Romanowski (0:58)

Indeed. You know, Valerie, I was out in the country. Actually, I went to my friend's lake house, which is more of the country than I am here in the city.

But there's something about me, but insects just love to bite me. I mean, I've got welts all over my body.

Valerie George (1:15)

Oh my goodness.

Perry Romanowski (1:16)

Up and down my legs. I kind of thought that maybe I had bed bugs in my house, because I don't remember getting bit by any of these, but somehow my like stinger sense has gone off, and just like the next day, I get all these welts.

Valerie George (1:30)

I used to get bitten a lot by bugs when I was a kid, and I feel like I don't get bitten as much now, but I also now live in an area where we don't have a lot of bugs. That's the one great thing about, well, there's a couple great things about living in California, but one of the great things about California is you don't have a ton of biting insects, especially in Southern California. Now, when I go home to Ohio, it's totally different, where mosquitoes are practically the state bird, same thing in Illinois, I'm sure.

But yeah, in California, I don't have to worry about that.

Perry Romanowski (2:03)

Well, I have to say, I live in the city proper, so by my house, mosquitoes are not an issue. But you go out into the suburbs or into the country, and boy, they sure get me.

Valerie George (2:16)

Oh man, that stinks. You don't use bug spray or anything like that?

Perry Romanowski (2:19)

Well, when I remember, I do, yes.

Valerie George (2:22)

Oh, yeah.

Perry Romanowski (2:23)

Because I'm a big fan of DEET. Yeah.

Valerie George (2:27)

Well, I don't think of bug spray too often, because it's not really like a beauty product, right? It's more regulated as an insecticide or something like that.

Perry Romanowski (2:35)

It is, although, you know, Avon had their Skin So Soft, which was like a cosmetic, but people...

There's always that... My mom would always tell me growing up, oh, put some Skin So Soft on it, because something in their fragrance would sort of...

Valerie George (2:50)

Really?

Perry Romanowski (2:51)

Bug bugs. Oh yeah, that was... Yeah, I'm sure other people in the Beauty Brains audience heard that Skin So Soft and the bug thing, but...

Valerie George (3:00)

Yeah, I'd love to know more about that, whether it's like an urban legend, and it was just a ploy to sell more product, or does it really deter bugs?

Perry Romanowski (3:10)

It's a good question. I think I saw a study where it essentially said, no, not really. But actually, I think we talked about it on the show, but there was a study looking at bug spray, and this Victoria Secrets perfume was able to repel bugs almost as well as DEET.

Valerie George (3:28)

Oh gosh, that was before my time. I'd love for you to pull that up and send that to me again.

Perry Romanowski (3:32)

Yeah, we'll have to check that out.

But when I remember to put the DEET on, the bugs are fine. I just don't remember until after I get all the bites.

Valerie George (3:44)

Well, would you remember if you had Victoria's Secret in your bag?

Perry Romanowski (3:47)

I might, or at least I would smell better anyway.

Valerie George (3:51)

Yeah, your wife might remember. Oh, we got to spray this everywhere.

Well, what did you see on the news this week?

Perry Romanowski (4:03)

Well, Valerie, it really wasn't this week, but some lovely listener of ours sent in this news report about whole foods. And I thought it would be a good opportunity to talk about two subjects, hypoallergenic cosmetics and class action lawsuits. First, I'll start with the class action.